Nightmare Daydream

My Dreams

2007-11-03T15:28:00.000-04:00

My dreams can be strange. I hope you enjoy them.

Send A Card to Arthur Lee's Family & Friends

2006-08-25T18:12:00.000-04:00

From the best, most in depth, and most fantastic Love Site.

For those of you that would like to send a card to Arthur's wife, Diane, her address is: Diane Lee13351 D Riverside Drive #459Sherman Oaks, CA 91423

Anyone wishing to send sympathy cards or just a note to Johnny, , or the members of Baby Lemonade,just address them to (example) Johnny Echols, care of Large Jar Music at this address:Large Jar Music12440 Moorpark St. #117Studio City, Ca 91604. Judith has been kind enough, to offer, to pass the cards along to the appropriate people. I know many of us would like to let all the people really close to Arthur, know that we are united in grief for the loss of Arthur Lee.

2006-08-25T18:07:00.000-04:00

In Memory of Arthur Lee Flyer

2006-08-25T18:06:00.000-04:00

Arthur Lee Obituary

Example of Weird Apostrophe Replacements Help me Solve this Problem

2006-08-24T16:48:00.000-04:00

I may or may not have a virus. Everytime I read something that has an apostrophe, in place of the apostrophe I get â€™s.
Example
Charlotte's Web
Charlotteâ€™s Web
Any solutions would be appreciated.

2006-08-24T16:40:00.000-04:00

Meowing Twenties

2006-08-24T16:39:00.000-04:00

Felix Smokin'

2006-08-24T16:32:00.000-04:00

Uncensored Pink Panther

Turner Broadcasting Censoring Cartoons

2006-08-21T19:20:00.000-04:00

Turner Broadcasting is censoring more than 1,500 classic Hanna-Barbera cartoons, including old favorites Tom and Jerry, The Flintstones and Scooby-Doo, to edit out scenes that glamorize smoking. Cartoons would only be modified where smoking could be deemed to be cool or glamorized, and that scenes where a villain was featured with a cigarette or cigar would not necessarily be cut.

Arthur Lee jams with Jimi again

2006-08-06T22:04:00.000-04:00

Arthur Lee, the former Love frontman passed away Thursday August 3rd in Memphis due to complications from Leukemia. There is so much I could say about the man. I believe that his songwriting is as essential as the works of Lennon and McCartney, and as Rolling Stone Magazine called Love's Forever Changes album, quintessential. The fact that Arthur and Love never made it into the Rock & Roll Hall of fame is its greatest injustice. Unfortunately, Arthur will only make it posthumouslee, if at all. Those of you who have no idea who I am writing about should buy all you can while you can. Arthur, I miss you man. I hope you are no longer troubled and know a greater Love. You and Jimi get to jam again, my friend. Search google news for relevant stories.

2006-06-26T00:50:00.000-04:00

WDOD Halloween Party

2006-06-26T00:48:00.000-04:00

1988 WDXB 1490

2006-06-26T00:46:00.000-04:00

Lunch at WOWE Rock 105 in 1986

2006-06-26T00:43:00.000-04:00

Greg Rambin, Kenny Chesney & Me otside WDOD

2006-06-26T00:41:00.000-04:00

WDOD Staff 1992

Cut it Out

2005-12-18T04:11:00.000-05:00

Well actually the doctor cut it out. It being my gallbladder about 12 hours ago. Ouch!

More on Love. Arthur Lee in Memphis?

2005-11-14T16:16:00.000-05:00

Well Arthur Lee is said to have moved to Memphis and Baby Lemonade will put out Gethsemane with Johnny Echols of Love? I sorta skimmed Mike Randall's diary entries from July to now. Read it and see what you get.
Mike Randall's Diaries.

Musicians Tell You How to Beat THE MAN or How to get around Copy Protected CDs

2005-10-10T08:43:00.000-04:00

First, I just re-read my heading and promise I did not just watch the ending of a Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoon. Second, unless you are really a bigtime fan of a new cd coming out on Sony BMG and EMI, avoid buying them because they will most likely be copy protected. In other words you will have problems burning the tracks to MP3's to listen to on your computers or Ipods or burning a track more than once for your latest greatest jams disc.
From CNN
Sony BMG Music Entertainment now regularly releases its new U.S. titles on CDs protected with digital rights management (DRM) that dictates which file formats consumers can use to digitally copy the music. MP3 is not one of those formats. The DRM also limits how many copies of the files consumers can make.
EMI Music is testing a similar initiative for wide-scale use by 2006.
SO, what do you do if you already have a copy protected CD? Again from CNN.
One solution artists offer to iPod users is to rip the CD into a Windows Media file, burn the tracks onto a blank CD (without copy protection) and then rip that CD back into iTunes.
Sony BMG says it is not trying to prevent consumers from getting music onto iPods. Fans who complain to Sony BMG about iPod incompatibility are directed to a Web site (http://cp.sonybmg.com/xcp) that provides information on how to work around the technology.
Also mentioned the guitarist of Switchfoot posted a link to CDEX which has technology that circumvents copy protection.
Anyway, happy listening.

The Latest Buzz

2005-10-10T08:35:00.000-04:00

Python of Gluttony

The latest Yahoo Buzz Index, The Seven Deadly Sins of Search, has this photo under the heading of gluttony. Funny Stuff.

Surprise! John Fogerty Returns to Fantasy

2005-09-20T01:41:00.000-04:00

John Fogerty

It seemed so unlikely that John would ever record for Fantasy again. He was sued by label chief Saul Zaentz for his Old Man Down the Road sounding too much like himself when he was with Creedence Clearwater Revival, and John recorded Zantz Kant Dance (But He'll Steal Your Money) later retitled Vantz Kant Dance (But He'll Steal Your Money) in response. And now according to Undercover John is recording a new album for Fantasy. The label was recently sold.

2005-09-14T11:58:00.000-04:00

Love in Happier Days

Bad vibes become no vibes between Arthur Lee and Love

2005-09-12T16:07:00.000-04:00

Arthur Lee

LA Times

After Lee failed to appear for several key shows, including a series of August dates in Europe, the band — which is built around members of L.A. group Baby Lemonade — decided to continue without the leader. Co-founding Love member John Echols, who performed on the Europe shows, is staying on for what is now being billed as the Love Band.

Baby Lemonade guitarist Mike Randle says the performances without Lee ultimately went well, and that there are even plans to write and record new songs. In part, he says, it was Lee's resistance to doing new material that caused the rift.

"We spent two of the last three years constantly trying to convince him we needed the right new material, right new directions," Randle says. "He just wanted to make some money."

Lee, who has assembled a new backing band and says he is opening a music club in L.A., is not happy about his former colleagues' plans.

"You can only take so much," he says. "These guys, they're going around calling themselves the Love Band. It's not fair. I've been working on this since I was 15 years old. I'm 60 years old now, and nobody's going to move me off this corner."

The Love Band's newsletter from Torbens' Love Site

To all Love fans,
As many of you may already know, Arthur Lee chose not to participate with Love on a tour of the UK and two festival shows in Germany and Spain this July. In the band and management's view this was an unforgivable and premeditated act of contempt towards Johnny Echols, Baby Lemonade and moreover, his adoring fans. Despite great pressure from many venues to the contrary, and indeed some cancellations, the band felt it would be in the best interests of the fans who wanted to hear the music to honour the shows. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all of those fans who attended - it meant a great deal to us all knowing we had your support.
Sadly, Arthur Lee's mental and physical health has been in steady decline since the Zombies/Love tour of last year and combined with several disastrous performances both home and abroad, Johnny Echols and Baby Lemonade have now decided to move forward and continue to perform as "The Love Band". We would like to confirm that Arthur Lee will play no part in this new line-up and that Glenn Povey/Second Wave Promotions is no longer representing Arthur Lee.
To think of Johnny Echols and Baby Lemonade performing without Arthur Lee may not seem as strange as it sounds. Many fans have already welcomed the new line-up with open arms as it has allowed the band to perform, with unbridled pride, tracks from the Echols-era catalogue including many that have never been heard before. Johnny Echols now shares lead vocals with a more than competent Rusty Squeezebox in much the same way as he did with Lee in the original line-up. Moreover a new studio album is promised combining the talents of both Baby Lemonade and Johnny Echols which is an exciting prospect for all fans of Love both past and present.
The LOVE Band comprises:
Johnny Echols: Guitar / Lead Vocals Rusty Squeezebox: Lead Vocals / Rhythm Guitar Mike Randle: Lead Guitar David 'Daddyo' Green: Drums David Chapple: Bass Guitar / Harmonica (Glenn Povey: Management)
Please note: A tour of the USA as "Love with Arthur Lee" had been scheduled for September/October this year. Unfortunately, and without the band's permission, some venues had gone on sale. This has obviously already led to some confusion and therefore in view of the above we would advise caution when purchasing tickets as some venues may not be aware of the change in circumstances. It is more than likely the tour will be postponed completely until later in the year or early 2006. These will be billed as "The Love Band".
We hope to see you at one of our shows soon.
With much Love,Johnny, Rusty, Mike, Daddyo, Dave and Glenn

Arthur's refusal to record new music and tour finds precedence with Brian Wilson's refusal to tour with the Beach Boys behind Pet Sounds or to release the original Smile, This is an ominous development that in my opinion could only be remedied if Arthur Lee and Love are inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame. If not, Robin Hitchcock may be prophetic with his song The Wreck of the Arthur Lee.

2005-09-11T18:02:00.000-04:00

Grape Spray

Starling Pelting to Begin

2005-09-11T17:51:00.000-04:00

From Chattanoogan.com The attack on swarms of starlings in downtown Chattanooga begins next Monday evening, City Forester Gene Hyde said.Continuing for three straight nights, the city of Chattanooga will be using the services of a company called "Flockfighters" which specializes in dispersing populations of nuisance birds. The goal is to try to persuade the starlings to find new roosting sites away from sensitive downtown locations, it was stated. For approximately 30 minutes each night around dusk Flockfighters will be fogging selected starlings roosts with a food grade ingredient which is derived from Concord grapes. This material persuades the birds to leave the area. The effects are temporary and felt only by birds. Humans and other mammals may detect a pleasant grape scent but are not otherwise affected, officials said.
I would probably not find the grape scent pleasant. I have a feeling that there is probably another nuisance in waiting that loves grapes.

Chattanooga's Unpopular Bird

2005-09-01T00:54:00.000-04:00

Starling

Chattanooga has decided that Starlings are not attractive. Perhaps if they were red or blue or brownish gray like the state bird, the mockingbird. Perhaps they need to have star bellies.
From Chattanoogan.com
"City officials said they plan to deal with the problem of noisy, dirty starlings congregating downtown by spraying them with a chemical derived from Concord grapes." More.

Aimee Mann's Forgotten Arm Tour Continues

2005-08-31T09:10:00.000-04:00

Aimee Mann 2005

Aimee's site has announced more tour dates. If you live in Hawaii, Japan, California, Arizona, Texas, or Florida, I envy you.

Reflecting on My Radio Shift

2005-08-29T13:59:00.000-04:00

WAWL

I played a Steppenwolf blues suite from side 2 of their second album, Love performing a live Red Telephone and August, Frank Black's Los Angeles, Sisters of Mercy's More, Aimee Mann's Live Deathly and the Scientist as well as Dear John and I Can't Get My Head Around It, Stan Ridgway's Down the Coast Highway, Wall of Voodoo's Far Side of Crazy, Lou Reed's Sword of Damocles, David Bowie's It's No Game pt1, ELO's Hello My Old Friend, the Waterboy's We Are Jonah, EBN-OZN's A,E,I,O,U Sometimes Y, and M.A.C.C.'s cover of Hendrix's Hey Baby (Land of the New Rising Sun). It was a blast. They do need to update the equipment or fix it up a bit. Whenever I played a CD I had to push start about 3 or 4 times. The headphone jack worked on and off. I was rusty as well. I did 2 hours, from 9-11 AM and then Bryan Stone rocked and Josh Clayton was to do a shift and there were others their as well. It was cool to meet Bryan and Josh and see Steve and Jim along with Uncle Don and Bob Riley. Plus it was a treat when I ran into Dave Weinthall of the Enigma. I had a reality check when someone called that used to call me every shift, but they really wanted to request a tune that they thought I would be most likely to play. It will always be about the music more than the jock.

Randy Black on the Radio. Listen to me this Monday

2005-08-26T22:45:00.000-04:00

WAWL Dude

Sorry to have been away lately, but I have been preparing for a radio shift this Monday Aug, 29th at 9 A.M. Eastern time. Listen to me live if you wish at WAWL 91.5

2005-08-17T01:30:00.000-04:00

Svengali

Are American Idol Contestants Puppets?

2005-08-17T01:03:00.000-04:00

It has certainly appeared that way to me. And anyone who saw Bo Vice and Carrie Underwood's final competitive performance had to notice that the one song they were singing that was not recognizable since we were age 5 was a new song written for the winner that did not fit their voices or styles. That is why I believe the song was written prior to the start of the season. A greater concern for the artists centers around the legal agreements Idol contenders must sign with 19 Entertainment to be eligible for the prize booty. Some see Simon Cowell as a svengali. Don Heley will not let the show use his songs. Jimmy Webb states that music companies want complete control. They don't want artists to get too powerful. Read the entire article for a better understanding.
From my personal experience around performers, I have heard of many stories where the music companies already have songs ready to be released. They have the band that is gonna play the song and all they lack is the vocalist. The story is the same for all the formats, rap, grunge, alt, rock, country, etc.
Also, there is the stories about bands that have million sellers, but before they are paid the costs of the artwork on the album, the tour, the promotions all are deducted, and often the artist is in debt.
I thought many of the svengali stories would disapear when people like 50's rock and rollers got out their stories about how atrocious their music deals were. I guess everything goes in cycles.
So, is it worth it to compete to be an American Idol? Read it and judge for yourself.

Beware the Former Child Actors

2005-08-17T00:57:00.000-04:00

We all know the stories of former child actors having trouble in the real world. You may remember Danny Bonaduce, Dana Plato, Adam Rich, Etc. Etc. Etc. I am having trouble remembering all the stories. But, here is the latest....

A former child actor and his wife were ordered to stand trial Tuesday for the murder of a wealthy California couple who, prosecutors say, were tied to the anchor of their yacht and thrown overboard alive, never to be seen again.
Orange County Superior Court Judge John Conley ordered 26-year-old Skylar Deleon, who once starred in the "Power Rangers" TV series, and his wife, 24-year-old Jennifer Henderson Deleon, to stand trial for the murders after a two-day preliminary hearing in Santa Ana, south of Los Angeles. More at CNN.

With the Passing of Peter Jennings, all 3 Major Networks Have Lost an Anchor in the Past Year. What effect will this have on our news coverages?

2005-08-08T01:11:00.000-04:00

Peter Jennings

The past year has been a tumultuous year for news anchors. Tom Brokaw stepped down. Dan Rather reluctantly did the same. Peter Jennings announced he had lung cancer, and I like many thought that he would return to the broadcast booth, especially given the doctors he could afford. Alas, it was announced earlier tonight that Peter Jennings had died of lung cancer. ABC must have known Peter's days were numbered as they aired a special mini-documentary on their former anchor. He looked even younger than his 67 years. I had a lot of respect for him because he was so young when he first took the anchor chair in his 20's. He will be sadly missed.
So, what does it all mean? Will the new anchors be as conservative? (I'm not talking politics here.) I mean will they show the same etiquette? Will they generalize more often? My guess is that they will be corporate puppets. The former 3 anchors must have seen the corporate censorship or sway or spin that had been building steam the past few years. However, a new anchor has more people he or she may want to please and may bend more without breaking when it comes to reporting the news accurately. Some suggest that CBS is preparing a more exciting format for the news during Bob Schaeffer's interim anchors, one that will use several co-anchors to make the news experience fresh. I hope the nightly news will still dedicate large segments of time on more important stories and not abbreviate like the USA Today or its influence on most of the newspapers in the nation. I would hate for one of the major networks to lean with a political party ala Fox News. That could be dangerous despite the party. There already seems to be too much sloppiness on the news. Why would you show where a president went to hide on 911? Why would you brainstorm a list of things terrorists could do and announce it to the world? on the other hand, why not show the coffins returning from the war or read the names of those who perished in battle like Ted Koppel took flack for? Some stations would not even show that Nightline. News should be reported responsibly (Not giving out gov't secrets ala Geraldo) and as accurately as possible (advertisers should have no effect on news reporting). For our society to settle for anything less is ludicrous.

I wish I had all of the Criterion Collection Releases

2005-08-07T14:57:00.000-04:00

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

I have recently began collecting DVDs releases from the Criterion Collection. They do a great job in the film transferrals. The pictures are so beautiful. Also, they include a lot of background features. For instance on Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas there are a couple of Hunter S. Thompson documentaries along with footage of his attorney and cohort on the trip, Acosta, reading a chapter from one of his books. On the Life Aquatic there are 2 releases, one with one disc and one with 2. This may become a collector's item. I have one called the Third Man that adds footage of underground sewer patrolmen in Austria and a zither concert. I recommend that anyone interested in collecting DVDs get as many Crterion titles as they can. NOt only do they go up in value, but they are very selective in what movies earn the honor. Browse the titles and let me know what you think.

The Male Teacher Biases

2005-08-03T03:12:00.000-04:00

The process of finding a job has been a bit daunting due to the fact that I am constantly being disregarded in favor of teachers with more experience than my two years. I do feel that my recent graduation from college should give me an edge due to the fact that I have put into practice the latest trends in education. Also, a quick search on the internet for the need for male teachers in the classroom will yield many websites. Unfortunately, many elementary schools disregard male teachers unless they need one to act as a disciplinarian or other stereotypical roles.

From CS Monitor:

Liberty Jones, a fourth-grade teacher at Maplewood Elementary in Portland, Ore., supports efforts to draw more men into the teaching profession. "It's important for the same reason it's important to see women in science and engineering," she says. "It helps break the societal stereotype."
Male teachers send an important message to students, says Ms. Jones. "In my experience, moms tend to be the ones staying home or helping kids out with their homework. Having a male teacher gives students a different perspective and shows that men care about education and learning too."
"There are people who still say, 'It's so nice to have a man in the classroom,' " Nelson says. "But think about it: You wouldn't say, 'It's so nice to have an African-American in the classroom,' or 'It's great to have a Jew in the classroom.' It should be no different for men. We want teachers to be teachers and for gender not to be a factor, but until we get to that point, we have to do something about it."

I teach, because I care.

2005-07-26T01:49:00.000-04:00

Current Temperature

100 degrees and counting

2005-07-26T01:29:00.000-04:00

Whew! I have been sweating like crazy. It feels like a fire at a pepper farm. It's hotter than the hinges of hell. Etc. With it this hot, I haven't been doing much outside. I bdid go to the Chattanooga market on Sunday because it was the only day dedicated to Coke memorabilia. My 17 year old likes that a lot. Other than that I watched a restored edition of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, and it was super. Apparently this edition that has only been around 2 years has parts in the movie that were never shown in the USA until now. Eli Wallach was great as Tuco and Lee Van (Cleefe?) stared holes into the screen, and Clint Eastwood had it going too.
I found a funny Aimee Mann based website Aimee Mann says baby a lot dot com.

Thoughts on the Buddy Holly Story and Buddy Holly

2005-07-19T00:56:00.000-04:00

The Buddy Holly Story

Tonight I watched The Buddy Holly Story again. Gary Busey was brilliant, dead-on, Buddy Holly. What a performance. I prefer this movie to La Bamba and I really like La Bamba. It is hard to believe that anyone ever again could be as innovative as Buddy Holly was. I can see why the Beatles' name was based on Buddy's Crickets. And the songs.......
It's So Easy
That'll Be The Day (Influenced by John Wayne)
Everyday
Rave On
Words
Maybe Baby
Peggy Sue
Not Fade Away
Etc., Etc., Etc.
Buddy could have given us so much more. What would he sound like if he recorded in the 70's?

Door Knob Patrol

2005-07-17T13:58:00.000-04:00

From BEEz
and Them
The Ionscan 400B is a machine that analyzes microscopic particles picked up by wiping a sterile cloth across a surface. Police in Utah have been using the machine to go to people's homes, wipe their exterior doorknobs, and then, if illicit drugs show up, use the evidence found to obtain a search warrant.
Check out the sources.

My first Drive-in Experience as an Adult

2005-07-17T12:36:00.000-04:00

War of the Worlds

Last night I went to the new Wilderness Outdoor Theater for my first drive-in experience as an adult. It is located about 20 miles from my home and is closer than two other drive-ins that are in Dunlap and Athens, Tennessee.Tn Drive-ins
From. (Nestled in the foothills of Dade County, north Georgia, the outdoor theater is set on 45 landscaped acres surrounded by a beautiful backdrop of mountains. The grounds can accommodate up to 1,000 cars, but you’ll want to bring your lawn chairs or blankets and sit out under the stars. The surround sound system is made up of 16 speakers placed around the hillside theater and the massive movie screen measures in at 50’ x 100’.
“We’re so excited to be able to provide this kind of experience for both the community and visitors to the Chattanooga area,” said Don Marshall, builder and owner. “Not only is it the world’s largest single screen outdoor theater, but where else can you park your car, throw a Frisbee for a little while and then relax and watch a movie? It’s going to be incredible!”The landscape was designed at a slope, rising one foot per every four feet, imitating stadium seating in a movie theater. This ensures that whether you’re sitting in your car, on a blanket, in a lawn chair or on a picnic table, you can still see over everyone without straining your neck.)

Anytime someone says something is the world's largest I am skeptical. For instance, you can win the World's Largest Christmas Stocking at Shoney's, but we have a larger one at home.
Anyway, there is plenty of parking, however if you stay near your car you will need the use of a radio, because the speakers are positioned on the hillside that is behind the parking area and it is hard to hear near the car. We tried sitting in chairs near our car but could not hear the movie. Also, if you listen to the outdoor speakers there is a delay between the picture and sound that you will not experience if you use a radio. The price was right, $5.00 a person. I guess the fact that a building is not present allows for a lower price. I like that. Also, the concessions were cheaper. $2.00 for a large bucket of popcorn. $1.50 for a large coke. $3.00 for a barbecue sandwich. Large candy like boxes of Goobers and Raisinets for $1.00. You can also bring your own. We brought a 12 pack of cokes with us. Smokers will be happy to be able to see a movie and partake if they so desire. Plus you can smooch. Or not. Hopefully they will get a few boring movies. With this indicator I would say that War of the Worlds is a better movie than The Longest Yard. 2 movies for 5 bucks a piece is a good deal.
About the movies:
W.O.W. was true to the original including the quote about God in the end. The aliens looked similar to the first movie just better due to technology. It was interesting that a movie from the 1950's could be re-made virtually unchanged except for the cussing and go over as well as it did. It is worth seeing. Another interesting fact is that a remake of a 1970's movie, The Longest Yard could be so boring. Let's face it, the first L Y was not a work of art, and the remake takes the B movie and turns it into a D movie. But then again if you are at a drive-in with your significant other and no kids that is good news. Don't get me wrong. We were fairly conservative especially compared to the chubby teenager I saw leaving the drive-in holding an undergarment out the window of his car. But then again, he probably brought it with him just for that. A lot of kids were wandering about between the cars. I wouldn't let my kids do that just in case the said undergarments were not a prop.

If you get a chance to go to a drive-in, do it. It will save you money and be a lot of fun.

2005-07-04T12:30:00.000-04:00

Does this picture bother anyone else? The Number of a Man(dela)

2005-07-04T12:29:00.000-04:00

Gorsh

Kids Tuning in to See Disney Get to See the Who Utter the F Word Courtesy of ABC’s Coverage of Live 8

2005-07-04T09:35:00.000-04:00

Instead of showing their usual Disney fanfare, ABC hosted a wrap up of the Live 8 concert and instead of showing little more than VJ’s and interviews (like MTV and VH1), they actually showed as many artists as they could doing one song each. They could have showed more artists if they did not break away like the other networks for commercials that felt so out of place during a charity concert. So, why did the network leave the F word in the Who’s Who Are You? Their was no clever marketing around it like the Monday Night Football/ Desperate Housewives cross promotion with Nicolette Sherridan and Terrell Owens. We did not see Goofy laughing, dancing, or giving a clever wink. My theory is that the censor was unfamiliar with the Who and just assumed anybody that old was safe. That is a shame.

And the Winner for Worst Concert Broadcast Ever Goes to…..It’s a Tie! MTV and VH1 Take Home the Honor

2005-07-04T09:32:00.000-04:00

Live 8 was billed as the greatest concert ever. It had over 150 artists performing in 8 cities, 9 really when Johannesburg is included. Had the time zone differential had been accounted for, many performances were complete by the time the 12 noon to 8 P.M. American coverage began. So, did MTV and VH1 present different performances on the two networks? No. Instead they combined a VJ from MTV with a VJ from VH1. During the first hour it became clear that the coverage would not focus on the artists or the songs but mainly on the VJs, their opinions, and their interviews with the concertgoers. Only one song, Paul McCartney and Bono’s London opening with their version of Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was shown in its entirety. Afterwards viewers were luckiest to see 2/3 of a song. Concert organizer, Bob Geldof’s performance of his Boomtown Rats classic I Don’t Like Mondays was shown for little more than 5 seconds. Mostly one saw VJs asking each other how large they thought the crowd was, talking about how the music being presented this time was balanced fairly because only one rap band, Run DMC was at Live Aid, and there were many more at Live 8 (As far as I know only Tim McGraw performed country although I never saw it), asking crowd members where they were from and why they came (I will give you the answer to the second question at the bottom. Don’t peak until you have made a guess.), and showing a one minute or so montage of who had performed earlier. I am trying to remember which acts I saw near complete or completed songs. Out of the 150+ acts I saw Good Charlotte, Linkin Park, Jay Z, Jay Z and Linkin Park, and Pink Floyd. Viewers tended to only see performances from Philadelphia and London with maybe a two or thre minute clip from one of the other sites each hour. I would have liked to have seen the Barenaked Ladies performance from Canada as well as bands from Italy, France, Russia, and all the other sites. Music could have been going during the entire broadcast. It was great to see Amir (the dude from the VH1 show Bands Reunited?) and his co-host from MTV Europe talk about their love for the Who, join Won’t Get Fooled Again after the intro had started, play 5 minutes of it, talk about the song before it was over, and go to commercials and never return to the Who. Amir particularly seemed embarrassed by it. They talked of the Pink Floyd reunion with Roger Waters and when the performance finally came they had to break away from what was arguably the highlight of the event to go to commercials just as David Gilmore was beginning the guitar solo in Comfortably Numb. Why even have commercials during a charity event. It is funny that ABC’s 2 hour broadcast of highlight performances from the day had more complete songs than MTV and VH1. You would think that if it was truly thought of as the most historic concert ever more interest would be generated by the networks like their coverage of foreign VIPs’ funerals. After all the hunger, disease, and poverty of some parts of Africa is just as important as are the efforts to end the crisis. I guess in the end the arrogance of VH1 and MTV to turn the focus on their VJs and less on the performers or their cause is atrocious and deserving of the award for worst concert broadcast.

answer: the concert

Pink Floyd to reunite with Roger Waters at today's Live 8

2005-07-02T11:05:00.000-04:00

Pink Floyd

Paul McCartney and U2's Bono rocked London's Hyde Park with a rousing performance of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" on Saturday to kick off the main event in the Live 8 extravaganza rolling around the globe.
Harvey Goldsmith, one of the Live 8 organizers, said he was determined the show, featuring 25 acts including U2, Madonna, REM, Carey, Coldplay and Pink Floyd, would go like clockwork.
"We have clocks everywhere and our message to all the artists is, we don't care what time you go on, we just care about what time you come off," he said.
"We have to be as time-precise as possible, particularly with all the international links going on. We just ask everybody to play ball."
Organizers say 2 million people may attend the concerts and claim 85 percent of the world's population will have access to a television, radio or Internet broadcast of the day's events. A complex broadcasting operation will feed footage of the concerts to networks including the British Broadcasting Corp. -- which is devoting more than 12 hours on its main TV channels to the event -- and MTV.
The lineups are eclectic: Destiny's Child, The Dave Matthews Band, Bon Jovi, Stevie Wonder, P. Diddy and Jay-Z in Philadelphia; Brian Wilson, Chris de Burgh and Green Day in Berlin; Neil Young, Bryan Adams and Motley Crue in Barrie, north of Toronto; McFly in Tokyo; the Pet Shop Boys in Moscow; Goth-rockers The Cure and Senegalese superstar Youssou N'Dour in Paris, France.
The artists, playing for free, are heeding Geldof's call to urge world leaders to double aid, cancel debt and rework unfair trade laws to lift African nations out of poverty.
More at CNN.
The long desired reunion of Roger Waters and Pink Floyd is an event that rivals the dreams that Beatle fans so wanted until the passing of John Lennon. The American broadcast of Live 8 begins at noon eastern on MTV. Official Live 8 Site.

R & B Legend Luther Vandross Dead at 54

2005-07-02T11:03:00.000-04:00

Luther Vandross performing a tribute to George Harrison at the American Music Awards in 2002

Luther Vandross was a master of soulful, heartfelt ballads that topped the R & B charts. Many are unaware that Luther sang background vocals on David Bowie's Young American album and opened for him on the subsequent tour. Luther was rejected by the powers that be (music labels) and funded his own album of his unique blend of R & B. 2 million copies later the doors were opened. Luther was signed and kept his personal integrity.

By the end of the 1980s Vandross had nearly two dozen smash singles, including "Give Me the Reason," "Stop to Love" and "There's Nothing Better Than Love," made with Gregory Hines. Arguably his most memorable hit was the 1989 classic, "Here and Now," which has become a wedding staple.
The momentum carried into the 1990s, with Vandross recording "The Best Things In Life Are Free," a pop duet with Janet Jackson that hit the Top 10 and No. 1 on the R&B charts.
He followed that in 1994 with "Endless Love," a duet with Mariah Carey that reached No. 2 on the pop charts.
"I was Luther from day one, from the day I began, and I think that's a very important thing," he once said. "I think that's what sustained my career for so long is that when I start, you know it's me."
Vandross struggled with health and image problems, claiming that he lost 100 pounds -- 13 times. He suffered from hypertension and diabetes, which killed two siblings and his father, but refused to slow down until his stroke two years ago.
Of "Dance With My Father," he once said that title song "was very emotional for me and, yes, it is based on my own experience.
"It's not just about losing one's father, but about missing someone who is gone -- for whatever reason -- and the longing you feel for that moment in the past when you were together," he said.
More at CNN.

I hope Luther is dancing with his father now.

2005-06-29T11:19:00.000-04:00

Early Simon and Garfunkel (See Below for Explanation)

Simon and Garfunkel to Dusty Springfield: A Continued Critique of the Rock Hall of Fame

2005-06-29T02:09:00.000-04:00

Simon and Garfunkel are too cool not to be in the rock hall of fame. Without them the silver girls wouldn’t sail so smoothly, Joe Dimaggio may have had a moment of privacy, and we would not have wept at our darkness salutations. Besides, they originally performed under the names Tom and Jerry.

If Paul Simon had only released Graceland he would deserve his membership due to the its American introduction to what sounds like a Sun Records recording of South African rhythms coupled with fantastic lyrics. Yet, Paul had given us so much more. We learned 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover, went Slip Sliding Away, and found out that Dixie Humingbirds sure could harmonize while our baby loved us like a rock. ‘nuff said.

Sly and the Family Stone (Boom – Shakalaka, etc. )took us higher and higher, and apparently he went higher as well or at least he had Hot Fun in the Summertime. Sly rocked and Larry Graham laid some bottom for the dancers. They are not my favorites but, they belong.

Dusty Springfield had an incredible voice on You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me and she fell in love with the Son of a Preacherman and eventually became Justified and Ancient. I just think that she doesn’t belong. Talented, yes. Hall of Fame, yes. Rock Hall of Fame, no.

out of print ebay listings

2005-06-29T01:26:00.000-04:00

I was browsing Ebay and looking at the oop or out of print VHS, DVD, and CD entries. Some titles get quite a few bids while others seem to go under the radar. It would be great to have some great lost gems. I wonder if there is a list of the most valuable, hard to find out of print media.

The songs from Friday

2005-06-21T21:37:00.000-04:00

Julian

The Friday setlist:

Dear John - The perfect beginning of an album and a concert. The song wastes no time in establishing the album, story, and concert.

Goodbye Caroline - Sounds better live! And its a fantastic song already!

Going Through the Motions - Aimee has previously performed this on Leno and her recent Live CD. Its a great song for most artists, but not one of her best. She rocks it though.

Humpty Dumpty - From Aimee's Lost in Space CD. One of the best live moments ever. John Sands pounds the drums as Julian's guitar solos last longer than ever. Aimee said this was being recorded for a radio broadcast. Your narrator is being treated to the concert of a lifetime.

Save Me - Gorgeous. Aimee's grammy nominated song from Magnolia. Unfortunately a very average Phil Collins song beat her. It makes you realize how much of a popularity contest awards shows are instead of them being awarded objectively to the best song. Aimee jokes about Phil's songs from Tarzan 2 going straight to video. Julian plays some kind of instrument that you blow that has keys. I asked him later what it was called but, I forgot. It has a Lady and the Tramp sound to it.

Wise Up - Nothing but pure emotion from Aimee as she sings this tune from Jerry Maguire and Magnolia.

Video - back to the new album. This is one of my wife's favorites. I sure wish I could hear this performance again.

Little Bombs - This is one of my favorites from the new album. It has a bassy, Duane Eddy sounding guitar. The lyrics are so beautiful as they express the trees Aimee saw outside her Atlanta Lennox Square hotel window. She wrote it after her Atlanta concert last year that my wife and I attended. (This was such a great show and atmosphere at the Variety Playhouse. I would go to a show there as opposed to the botanical gardens that Aimee played at on Thursday.) The song has a dark side as well.

Amateur - From Whatever and used in so many films. Perfect live with Jebin playing beautiful keys and Aimee on bass.

Driving Sideways - Second bass with Aimee nothing could be better. Great harmonies here and all of the concert.

She Really Wants You - Wow Wow Wow. This and Video were my wife's favorites that Aimee performed from the new album.

Can't My Head Around It - This one grows and grows and grows. Better than the album. The crowd gasped at this version. The climax of the concert and it was a long one.

Encore

Aimee asks for requests and about 25 wadded up sheets of paper are tossed to the stage during K of J.
King of the Jailhouse - Not the best I have heard it. It was a little sloppy. I really think that the last song was a magical moment that may never be topped and that everyone knew it including the band. It is great to see Aimee at the piano, a great look for her.

Ray - Aimee says she may mess it up because she hasn't performed it in a while. It was so great to hear this live. Aimee was perfect, and the music was great. It was different than the album version because it did not have harmonies.

Deathly - The best song anyone could close with. The band jams on it as it builds and builds. I think Julian did the guitar solo from Junk on this track. It was a super concert.

Oh yeah, I left out Sugarcoated which always rocks. Thanks Aimee!

2 Aimee Mann Concerts - what a difference a venue makes

2005-06-21T02:40:00.000-04:00

It was a fun but tiring Thursday and Friday. On Thursday my wife and I traveled to Atlanta to see Aimee Mann at a very snobby place, the Atlanta Botanical Garden. We arrived early at the site and followed the signs to park in what wound up being VIP parking only. If you are not a member you, like me, will have to drive back down the hill and through the gates to park in a residential neighborhood. As we climbed the hill we realized that smoking is not permitted on the grounds. We encountered the season ticket holders who were asking who Aimee was. It is sad that so many people rely on radio for all their info and that they could be clueless about perhaps the greatest female rocker of all time. There is a moat that separates the stage from the crowd. We sat at the moat but were told to move our drinks or feet when the security guard would walk the concrete edge to get on to people for touching the water.

Aimee came on and sang 3 numbers and as she started to speak to the audience a lady in the front said I cannot understand a word you are saying. I thought that was rude. I think Aimee did as well but, she would never tell you that. I think the person had a bit too much wine. Anyway, we wound up getting the setlist verbatim. My wife and I wanted to get a picture made with Aimee since the one taken by a fan last year in Nashville never was emailed to us as promised, so we went to get our car. We drove it up the hill to where the bus was parked and noticed a guard following us as well as 6 fans lined up at the bus with CD's waiting for her to sign them. The guard yelled "You need to leave". I stated that I was just gonna try to get an autograph like the others, and he said, "They are with the band. Leave." So we left. We will never attend a show at that venue again.

The Nashville show was indoors at the Canary Ballroom with another concert by Here Come the Mummies upstairs in the Mercy Lounge. Aimee was rehearsing as we arrived and it was suggested that we could get the picture when Aimee came out and returned to her bus before a multitude of others arrived. My wife and I wanted to get a shot of the 2 of us with Aimee so we handed off the camera to another fan so that he could practice using it. Somehow the brand new rechargeable batteries in it had corroded. Perhaps the fact that I left the camera outside after Atlanta's show which we didn't bother using it for. So, in a desperate attempt to find them quickly, I left the site and was guided by a Christian book store to try the Greyhound terminal, which had them. Aimee was still rehearsing when I returned but, I could see that a crowd was converging so, I knew if we got the pic it would be after the show. I talked with drummer John Sands until the doors open. He is very knowledgeable about music and has played on quite a few albums. We were on the front row and Aimee was fantastic. Her new album sounds great live. The band was rocking, Jebin recalled Steppenwolf's organ solos, Paul kept a steady beat, Aimee played bass on 2 songs, Julian had his guitar singing. He told me afterwards that one of his solos was based on Paul McCartney's Junk. So, he knows his music as well. Aimee was the vocalist of the century and was fun. She actually performed Ray, a song that I had never heard her perform live. The show was being taped for a Nashville radio station (I'd love to have it.) After the concert we talked with Julian and took a pic of my wife with him. I'll post it later after I edit her out of it. (She doesn't want her pic on the internet.) Now, I want you to know that many people took pics during the concert, but I didn't because, I did not want to have a flash going off in Aimee's eyes. We waited for a chance to ask Aimee for a pic. As I saw the crowd of about 20 wait what seemed like an hour for Aimee to come out, I started feeling guilty. There were so many fans waiting for her that it seemed like a paparazzi type moment. As we decided to leave, Aimee came outside. We did not go towards her. No picture. No hello. We respected her too much. Perhaps one day we can see her somewhere and have a normal conversation with her without hero worshipping. I'll post the setlist later.

Updates

2005-06-16T03:21:00.000-04:00

Sorry to have been away the past week. I started a new job, and I have been getting used to the schedule. I plan on updating you all on the Aimee Mann shows tonight and tomorrow night in Atlanta and Nashville. I hope she is in a good mood and happy and feeling well and sings for 3 hours and not the expected hour and a half. She could sing the phone book and I would be happy. From her 'til Tuesday days I would love to here Lucky or What About Love. Her solo tunes that she doesn't regularly perform that I would like to hear (whew you can tell I'm tired with run-ons and poor sentence structure) include Way Back When, Say Anything, Put Me On Top, You Could Make a Killing, Choice in the Matter, Ray, etc. It will be great anyway. I hope to get a pic with her this year as the pic that was taken by another fan in Nashville last year of Aimee and me never materialized. It would be cool if they brought it to this year's show. I will update the comments soon. Be cool y'all.

Bozo's Grandson Drafted by the Angels

2005-06-09T15:58:00.000-04:00

BB Bozo

Actually the BB stands for Baseball. Bozo's grandson was drafted.

Trevor Bell, the 18-year-old grandson of Chicago television legend and "Bozo" star Bob Bell, was drafted as a pitcher Tuesday by the Los Angeles Angels. He graduates from high school in two weeks.
"I'm sure Bob was cheering him on and helped get his dream of going to the Angels from angel heaven," said proud grandmother Carol Bell.
Bob Bell, who retired from Channel 9 after 28 years in 1984, died in 1997.

It is ironic that Bozo's grandson would be drafted at the same time channel 9 in Chicago announced its decision to stop broadcasting children's programming on weekday afternoons according to the Sun-Times.

2005-06-09T15:21:00.000-04:00

Bob Seger's Entrance

More Rock Hall Members

2005-06-09T15:15:00.000-04:00

Bob Seger is a journeyman who belongs in the hall. Many first came to know him as the Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man of the Bob Seger System, a band inspired by the all out, high voltage, Detroit diesel jam typical of the unjustly overlooked, by the hall, Mitch Ryder. Bob maintained the rage through the years on songs with his more famous Silver Bullet Band like Katmandu, Feel Like a Number, The Fire Down Below. Perhaps his lower keyed Night Moves, Against the Wind, and Like a Rock helped sway the voters. Old Time Rock and Roll and Turn the Page got him in.

Del Shannon was destined to have a comeback with the Traveling Wilburys when he died of an overdose of antidepressants. Del’s Runaway, which is immortalized in Tom Petty’s Running Down a Dream, is a masterpiece with its masterful guitar brushstrokes, Del’s falsetto, and its sped up organ solo. Del penned the Searchers’ I Go to Pieces. Del music was prominent in an American Idolish era of sweater clad Tiger Beat pinups. Del belongs.

The Shirelles appear on the surface to be more of an iffy selection to the hall when one sees the list of other deserving entrants. However, to their credit they were the first successful all female band in the rock era, and their songs were for all audiences. Their up-tempo Boys was covered by the Beatles, their Sha-La-La by Manfred Mann. They had the sweet tunes Tonights the Night, Dedicated to the One I (Cyclops lol) Love, and Will You Love Me Tomorrow. Baby Its You is fantastic.

2005-06-09T14:21:00.000-04:00

RS Logo

3 Deserving Rock Hall Members

2005-06-09T14:14:00.000-04:00

The Rolling Stones belong in the rock hall for Satisfaction alone. But then there is Gimme Shelter, Midnight Rambler, You Can’t Always Get What You Want and the Love (the band) inspired She’s a Rainbow, and that’s not even getting started. Heck, the Stones even made a cool disco tune, Miss You. They've got the look too with Mick’s lips, Keith’s skull ring, Brian Jones’ face, and later Ron Wood looking like a dark Rod Stewart. They’ve got it all, the tragedies, the controversies, the busts, the hits, the albums, the connections, the gimmicks, and what many others could not give us, the longevity.

Sam and Dave warrant their membership. They took gospel and spun it into pure rock and soul. They made us all want to be a Soul Man. The world would not spin quite so groovy without Hold On! I’m Comin’ and I Thank You. The Blues Brothers are B-movie versions of the real Sam Moore and Dave Prater. Soothe Me is a lesser-known gem that is worth mining.

Santana exposed rock to Latin Percussion while jamming away on his guitar to the steady beat. Former Filmore West owner, the late Bill Graham wrote in his book about meeting a teenage Carlos Santana when he was caught trying to sneak in to see another jam band, the Grateful Dead perform. Buy the first three albums. See Santana live. Santana’s cover of Fleetwood Mac’s Black Magic Woman with a pre-Journey Greg Rolie on vocals should be the ultimate authority on making a cover your own.

2005-06-09T14:11:00.000-04:00

Carlos Santana

Back to My Critique of the Rock Hall of Fame

2005-06-09T13:07:00.000-04:00

While Jimmy Reed does not belong in the rock hall, he does belong in the blues hall of fame for his songs such as Big Boss Mann and Ain’t That Loving You Baby have been re-recorded by Elvis Presley, Steve Miller, George Thorogood, and the Rolling Stones. His tunes were garage blues that were easier to play than B.B. King’s and sold better too.

The Righteous Brothers helped define blue-eyed soul with Unchained Melody, (You’re My) Soul and Inspiration, and the immortal Phil Spector produced, You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling. Sure it is syrupy, but it pays off. The duo the late Bobby Hatfield and Bill Medley belong in the rock hall. They had quite a bit of up-tempo tunes like Little Latin Lupe Lu, a garage classic.

Smokey Robinson belongs in the rock hall of fame, His voice could make velvet seem like steel. He wrote My Guy for Mary Wells and My Girl for the Temptations. The Beatles covered You Really Got a Hold on Me, and the Stones covered Going to a Go-Go. The upbeat Mickey’s Monkey rocked the dance floor. Being With You stoked the fires of many dates as the speakers were reduced to cinders making it almost impossible to remember mama’s advice to Shop Around.

2005-06-09T13:06:00.000-04:00

Smokey Robinson

June 1 Bob and Willie Concert

2005-06-04T13:39:00.000-04:00

Bob and Willie

It was a wonderful surprise to receive 2 tickets to the concert from a lady that I have known for sometime. I would write her name but due to the fact that she won the tix I will not for fear that the radio station she won them from would give her some grief. The concert was in the pouring rain. As for the atmosphere, the crowd made the concert miserable. Like my last Dylan concert in Dalton, Ga a few years back, I was standing behind 7 foot giants, one of which even tried to open an umbrella. Many of the other people were in foul spirits as if they had some ancient Woodstock brown acid. I saw more arguing and crying than I saw of the concert. I saw more of the concert than I heard, and I saw more Willie Nelson than Bob Dylan. Willie was enthusiastic and friendly and his son sho can play the bluez. Here is another perspective of the crowd at the show.

Bob was less friendly. I do not think he ever addressed the crowd. His voice was almost as bad as in the days when the G. E. Smith Band toured with him, particularly a show at an amphitheatre near Nashville. Then, it struck me. Maybe Bob sounds better indoors. But then again that would not explain Bob's slumping over the keyboards with X's forming on his eyes. Perhaps the steady downfall was too hard on the old motorcycle injuries. Next time, contact me Bob and I'll recommend a doc for ya. Bob must not have been feeling well. The band was good but almost too good like Nashville professionals or hired guns, just make the singer sound better. Here is the setlist:

1. To Be Alone With You
2. The Times They Are A-Changin'
3. Cry A While
4. Just Like A Woman
5. It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)
6. Watching The River Flow
7. Visions Of Johanna
8. Highway 61 Revisited
9. Masters Of War
10. Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum
11. A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall
12. Summer Days

(encore)
13. Forever Young
14. All Along The Watchtower

Band Members
Bob Dylan - keyboard, harp
Stu Kimball - lead guitar
Denny Freeman - guitar
Donnie Herron - electric mandolin, violin, banjo, pedal steel
Tony Garnier - bass
George Recile - drums

Bob, we love ya. You can do better. But, I'd watch you mime. You are the last Elvis.

Here is a more positive review of the show.

2005-06-04T13:38:00.000-04:00

Willie Nelson

2005-06-04T13:37:00.000-04:00

Willie Nelson and band

2005-06-04T13:36:00.000-04:00

Willie Nelson giants

2005-06-04T13:29:00.000-04:00

Bob Dylan Center

2005-06-04T13:28:00.000-04:00

Bob Dylan full band

2005-06-04T13:27:00.000-04:00

Dylan rain

2005-06-04T13:15:00.000-04:00

Bob Dylan Keys

Unusual Lawn Decoration

2005-05-30T22:29:00.000-04:00

Strange Sighting on Memorial Day

I Passed by the horse and it made me laugh. So I grabbed my camera. I had to post it.

A cell phone ring tone is expected to top the English music charts!!

2005-05-30T02:32:00.000-04:00

Crazy Frog

A cell-phone ring tone appeared set to top the British singles chart Sunday, outselling the new single by the band Coldplay by nearly four to one, a music retailer said.
"Crazy Frog Axel F," a ring tone based on the sound of a revving Swedish mo-ped, is the first tune being used on mobile phones to cross into mainstream music charts according to a Yahoo News article.

Also, the BBC reports on the inspiration behind the frog.

It is kind of sad to see a cell phone ring tone top the charts while our favorite music legends go unnoticed.

2005-05-28T19:53:00.000-04:00

May 26, 2005, a day at Noccalula Falls

2005-05-28T19:51:00.000-04:00

Gadsden, Alabama's Noccalula Falls

2005-05-28T19:49:00.000-04:00

Heading Down to the Falls

2005-05-28T19:48:00.000-04:00

Stream

2005-05-28T19:44:00.000-04:00

Behind the Falls

2005-05-28T19:43:00.000-04:00

Snake Behind Falls

2005-05-28T19:40:00.000-04:00

Noccalula Falls

2005-05-28T19:39:00.000-04:00

Falls

2005-05-28T19:37:00.000-04:00

Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum

The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum is a great place to visit. It is the largest RR museum in the south. Volunteers restore all different kinds of trains from across the U.S.A. at their facilities. The train ride is cool. I was taken aback that the cars still had "White" and "Colored" labels on the cars. I agree that they should be maintained as they were for history's sake. A child will get a greater understanding of how things really were and who knows, maybe history will sink in. The train turns around on a turntable to connect with what had been the last car (not a caboose) and head back.

2005-05-28T19:35:00.000-04:00

Segregated Cars1 Seperate was not equal on this train. This white only car was nicer than the one through the doors.

2005-05-28T19:33:00.000-04:00

Segregated cars 2

2005-05-28T19:32:00.000-04:00

Railroad Turntable

2005-05-28T19:31:00.000-04:00

Reflection Riding

After spending the first part of the day at the rr museum on Monday, May 23, I visited Reflection Riding and the Chattanooga Nature Center. The battery on my camera was going out on me so, I do not have many pics.

2005-05-28T19:30:00.000-04:00

Red Tail Hawk at the Chattanooga Nature Center

2005-05-28T19:28:00.000-04:00

Tree House1

2005-05-28T19:27:00.000-04:00

Tree House2

2005-05-28T19:25:00.000-04:00

Tree House3

2005-05-13T20:22:00.000-04:00

Rainbow Lake Wilderness

The family went hiking at Rainbow Lake Wilderness on Signal Mountain. It has a lot of bluffs, a few caves, a natural waterfall and a man-made waterfall. The sad news is that the government has recently taken notice and is making new trails out of concrete. Yuck!

3 Pics from the Etowah Indian Mounds

2005-05-13T20:05:00.000-04:00

Etowah Indian Mounds 1

I visited the Etowah Indian Mounds about three weeks ago.
The Indian Mounds are located about 50 miles south of Chattanooga in Cartersville, Georgia. They date back over 1,000 years and were created by the Mississippi Moundbuilders. Info can be found at the Etowah Indian Mounds site.

2005-05-13T20:03:00.000-04:00

Etowah Indian Mounds 2

2005-05-13T20:02:00.000-04:00

Etowah Indian Mound 3

Young Brothers Coke Sign

2005-05-13T20:00:00.000-04:00

Just minutes away from the Etowah Indian Mounds in Downtown Cartersville, GA

My New Parakeet

2005-05-13T19:54:00.000-04:00

Chi Chi

I got a new friend about a month ago, a parakeet that I named Chi Chi. I new he would be loud. I have had a bird before, so I was not surprised by the bird communicating with outside birds from inside my bedroom. The biggest surprise for me was the fact that most of my kitchenware has become obsolete. It turns out non-stick cookware is toxic. Crock pots are too. Candles and air fresheners are no more. But, its worth a few changes to have a new friend.

Interviews

2005-05-13T13:52:00.000-04:00

I am sorry that I have been neglecting my blog. I have been trying to get an elementary teaching position. I had one interview today. I hope I made a good impression, because I need the money, and I love to teach. I get really nervous during interviews. If I didn't need the job as bad I would do a better job answering questions. I feel the pressure. It is funny that I never felt this way when I used to interview millionaire performers, but then again, I did the interviewing.

TN Aquarium Visit

2005-05-06T12:49:00.000-04:00

Leafy Sea Dragon

I recently visited the Tennessee Aquarium to see its new salt water building. It was a lot of fun. I enjoyed the seahorse exhibits. There are a lot of strange looking seahorses like the Leafy Sea Dragon. It looks like a plant. It was exciting petting small sharks, stingrays, and sturgeons. If you have never been there, it is worth the admission.

Play (Pro) Ball with a win on Ebay!

2005-05-05T01:53:00.000-04:00

River City Rascals
From River City Rascals
go to www.ebay.com - keyword "Rascals" to view bid information
O’Fallon, M0- To add to the plethora of items you can purchase on eBay, including cars, islands, and a wad of gum chewed by Britney Spears, the River City Rascals have placed a listing for one lucky winner to become a professional baseball player for a day.
The Rascals, the professional independent minor league baseball club located in O’Fallon, Missouri, began play in the Frontier League in 1999. The proceeds from this auction will benefit United Way, a charity with which the team works throughout the year.
The highest bidder in this auction will get the opportunity to be a River City Rascal baseball player for a day. He or she will star in the Rascals’ sole home preseason game on Friday May 20, 2005, when the club takes on the Gateway Grizzlies. The game begins at 7:05 PM at T.R. Hughes Ballpark, which is located approximately 35 miles West of Downtown St. Louis.
The winner will receive the following: a minimum of one at bat, guaranteed to play half an inning in the outfield, a one-day professional contract, and 20 tickets for family and friends.
The winner of this unique auction will be furnished with a jersey, hat, pants, and socks. He or she must provide a glove, shoes, transportation, meals, and housing, as well as sign an injury waiver. The winner must also be at least 18 years of age.
The Rascals opened their auction last night at $999, and received a bid almost immediately. This eBay item, numbered at 6528846325, will end May 8, 2005 at 18:02:12 PDT. The Rascals accept PayPal, personal check, or money order/Cashiers check. Payment is due 5 days after the auction ends.
More details at site.
How did the player's union let this one slip? Perhaps a regular person can win or is it the comeback of Pete Rose? O.J.? Tanya Harding?

2005-04-27T11:17:00.000-04:00

Aimee smile

Aimee will perform on Leno May 5th

. I hope to catch her in concert at either of the following or maybe both like last year.
Thu Jun 16 '05 Atlanta, GA Atlanta Botanical Garden
Fri Jun 17 '05 Nashville, TN Cannery Ballroom

2005-04-27T11:16:00.000-04:00

Aimee grass

4 Auburn Players Taken In First Round 2 Are Now Redskins

2005-04-24T00:40:00.000-04:00

Auburn's Jason Campbell Now A Redskin

The draft has gone great!!!! Running back Ronnie Brown was taken second overall by the Miami Dolphins, Running back Carnell "Cadillac" Williams was drafted fifth overall by the Tampa Bay Bucaneers, and Washington with their two first round picks, selected CB Carlos Rogers Ninth and Quarterback Jason Campbell twenty-fifth. It is the first time a QB and 2 RBS from the same team have been drafted in the first round in the era of the modern draft. It is the first time since 1995's Penn State that 3 players from the same college have been drafted in the top 10. It is the first time in the modern draft that an Auburn QB has been drafted in the first round. I am happy that my favorite pro team, the Redskins have selected 2 former Tigers. Maybe they can pick up another as the draft continues tomorrow and Washington's third pick will be in the fourth round. Look for Junior Rosegreen, Jay Ratliff, Bret Eddins, and Silas Daniels to be drafted in later rounds.

NFL Draft Wishes

2005-04-20T11:56:00.000-04:00

Brave War Eagle

I hope Washington Redskins' Coach Joe Gibbs turns the team around with this years draft.
Also I hope Auburn's Ronnie Brown, Jason Campbell, Carlos Rogers, Junior Rosegreen, and Carnell Williams are drafted in the early rounds. Personally, I would take Brown first due to his running and blocking abilities. Carnell runs great but, Ronnie is more versatile. Junior intercepted 4 passes in one game. Carlos will make a team happy as well. Jason quarterbacked better than ever. I would like to see him start somewhere as Dameyune Craig should have. After all Dameyune's jersey is in Canton due to his 611 yard NFL Europe performance.
From Cheddarheads:
"After being humiliated 37-6 the week before in Dusseldorf, we needed a good showing. Boy did we get that. By the time Dameyune tossed his 5th TD pass, he had clocked up a professional record 611 yards. The Claymores would hang on to win 42-35 and Dameyune’s performance would send shock waves through the football world. So much so, that the Hall of Fame in Canton would take his jersey and helmet from that night and create a mini shrine for him."

Update

2005-04-13T12:28:00.000-04:00

Sorry to have been away for a bit. I had my computer in the shop again. Not much else has been happening. I am a year older as of yesterday. I hope to see Aimee Mann in Atlanta. I have seen a lot of reviews on her new album and hope it comes out on its projected May 3 release date. Also Dylan is coming to town in June with Willie Nelson. That would be good to catch as well. Chattanooga's weeklong Riverbend Festival is in June but, I am not that enthusiastic about the lineup or being in a crowd of 100,000 plus. Colin Hay of Men at Work would be my favorite performer and to a lesser extent Pure Prairie League.